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Add Connecticut, Ohio and Vermont to the list of states passing legislation focused on the potential disruptive impact of blockchain – the technology underlying cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. As federal regulators continue to monitor and offer guidance in the cryptocurrency space, with particular focus on Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs), state legislatures around the country are…

While many traditional financial institutions hesitate to embrace cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, a recent news report suggests that Fidelity Investments, the fourth largest U.S. asset manager, is looking to enter the fray. Business Insider reported last week that Fidelity has posted internal job listings for systems engineers “to help engineer, create, and deploy a digital…

In the decades that followed the enactment of the Homestead Act of 1862, more than 1.6 million U.S. citizens and intended citizens filed applications with the U.S. government to lay claim to 160 acres of land guaranteed to each applicant willing to settle, farm and improve the lands.

Settlers quickly encountered a major problem. The…

Lazarus, the well-known hacking group responsible for the WannaCry ransomware attack from last year, as well as the attack on the Bangladesh Central Bank and Sony, is now targeting global financial firms and Bitcoin adopters with a phishing campaign dubbed “HaoBao.”

The phishing campaign was discovered by McAfee Labs in mid-January. The way it works…

As previously reported, state legislatures throughout the country continue to propose legislation designed to facilitate the use of blockchain-based technology by businesses within their states. In recent weeks, legislatures in Florida and Nebraska have each proposed laws streamlining the transaction of business electronically and through use of distributed ledgers on blockchain applications. In Arizona, the…

On January 24, 2018, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) issued its “Draft NIST Interagency Report 8202 Blockchain Technology Overview” which it announced as NIST’s “Report on Blockchain Technology Aims to Go Beyond the Hype.” The press release announcing the issuance of the report starts by stating “Beguiling, baffling or both—that’s…

Researchers at cybersecurity firm AlienVault have discovered a computer virus of North Korean origin which infects and hijacks computers in order to mine Monero, a private digital currency which styles itself as “secure, private and untraceable.” Cryptocurrency mining is the resource-intensive process by which computers or “miners” running specific software verify cryptocurrency transactions. In exchange for their computing power, miners are given small amounts of cryptocurrency. In the case of North Korean’s Monero malware, the virus installs mining software on infected computers unbeknownst to their owners or users. The software then secretly mines Monero and sends mining rewards back to a server located at Kim II Sung University in Pyongyang. Researchers are unsure how many computers may be affected.
Continue Reading Another Hitch in the Crypto Boom? North Korean Malware Hijacks Computers to Mine Monero Cryptocurrency

In a ten page letter that previews the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s (FINRA) priorities for 2018, initial coin offerings (ICOs) and transactions involving cryptocurrencies. This follows previous warnings by both the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and FINRA about the risks associated with investing in ICOs and virtual currencies, including Bitcoin. SEC Chairman Jay Clayton…

While the investment potential of cryptocurrencies, including BitCoin, has been all over the news in recent weeks, state governments have begun to explore the practical applications of blockchain – the technology underlying BitCoin.  In New York, Assemblyman Clyde Vanel introduced four bills in late November related to blockchain technology. The first, Assembly Bill 8780, would amend the state technology law to allow signatures, records and contracts secured through blockchain technology to be considered valid electronic records and signatures and further to recognize the legal validity of the use of smart contracts in commerce. This proposed legislation, recognizing legal effect to blockchain transactions and smart contracts, is similar to laws recently passed in other states, including Arizona, Nevada and Vermont.
Continue Reading Proposed Legislation in New York Would Recognize Enforceability of BlockChain Transactions and Explore Applications of Technology